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en: Potential of fluoropyrimidine to be an immunologically optimal partner of immune checkpoint inhibitors through inducing immunogenic cell death for thoracic malignancies.

en: Our findings indicate that fluoropyrimidine can be an immunologically optimal partner of ICIs through the induction of ICD for thoracic malignancies.

ja: 5-FU induced cell surface expression of CRT and ATP secretion most efficiently among the several chemotherapeutic agents. This effect was enhanced when it was combined with platinum. In the antitumor vaccination assay in vivo, we found that vaccination with dying-AB1-HA (a murine malignant mesothelioma cell line) cells treated with 5-FU, but neither PEM nor PTX, reduced the tumor growth of living-AB1-HA cells inoculated 1 week after vaccination by recruiting CD3

en: Journal of Thoracic Oncology

ja: Journal of Thoracic Oncology


en: Antipodoplanin antibody enhances the antitumor effects of CTLA-4 blockade against malignant mesothelioma by natural killer cells.

en: -f enhanced the antitumor effects of CTLA-4 blockade. Combination therapy with anti-PDPN Ab and anti-CTLA-4 Ab increased tumor-infiltrating natural killer (NK) cells. The depletion of NK cells inhibited the synergistic effects of PMab-1-mG

ja: -f and CTLA-4 blockade in vivo. These findings indicated the essential role of NK cells in novel combination immunotherapy targeting PDPN and shed light on the therapeutic strategy in advanced MPM.

en: Cancer Science

ja: Cancer Science


en: A multicenter, open-label, phase II trial of pemetrexed plus bevacizumab in elderly patients with previously untreated advanced or recurrent nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.

en: Combination chemotherapy with PEM plus Bev in elderly patients with previously untreated advanced non-squamous NSCLC exhibited favorable antitumor activity and tolerability, suggesting that a combination of PEM plus Bev might be a promising treatment option for this population.

ja: The median age at initiating chemotherapy was 80 years old. Almost all patients (92.6%) had adenocarcinoma histology. The median number of cycles administered was 6, and the objective response rate was 40.7%. The median progression-free survival, overall survival and 1-year survival were 8.8 months, 27.2 months and 79%, respectively. The treatment was well-tolerated, and no treatment-related death was observed.

en: Thoracic cancer

ja: Thoracic cancer


en: FoundationOne CDx detected an uncovered variant of epidermal growth factor receptor exon 19 deletion by Oncomine Dx target test in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma.

en: Respiratory Medicine Case Reports

ja: Respiratory Medicine Case Reports


en: Identification of fibrocyte cluster in tumors reveals the role in antitumor immunity by PD-L1 blockade.

en: fibrocytes do not. Tumor-infiltrating fibrocytes acquire myofibroblast-like phenotypes through transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) signaling. Thus, TGF-βR/SMAD inhibitor enhances the antitumor effects of dual VEGF and PD-L1 blockade by regulating fibrocyte differentiation. Fibrocytes are highlighted as regulators of the response to programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 blockade.

ja: fibrocytes is enhanced by anti-PD-L1 antibody. Peritumoral implantation of fibrocytes enhances the antitumor effect of PD-L1 blockade in vivo; CD86

en: Cell Reports

ja: Cell Reports


en: A case of atopic cough with aphonia showed a prominent response to a histamine H1 receptor antagonist.

en: -RA, a diagnosis of AC was made. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an AC patient who presented severe cough with aphonia. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 281-284, February, 2023.

en: The Journal of Medical Investigation : JMI


en: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis with atypical radiologic features in a patient with anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody.

en: A man with non-small-cell lung cancer who was negative for anti-nuclear antibodies was admitted for dyspnea after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) administration. Computed tomography (CT) showed complexed radiologic features, including subpleural and basal predominant reticular shadow with cystic structures and peribronchovascular consolidation. Although we treated him with high-dose steroid under a diagnosis of ICI-related pneumonitis, he developed acute exacerbation of pneumonitis with progressive fibrosis and volume loss. A re-evaluation identified anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody in the serum collected before ICI administration. This case highlights the importance of re-evaluating pre-existing autoimmune disorders in patients who develop ICI-related pneumonitis with atypical radiologic features.


en: Clinical significance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide and periostin as potential markers to assess therapeutic efficacy in patients with cough variant asthma.

en: Our observations indicate the usefulness of FeNO and periostin as potential "therapeutic" markers for CVA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the clinical significance of these factors as potential biomarkers to assess therapeutic efficacy in patients with CVA.

en: Respiratory Investigation

ja: Respiratory Investigation


en: S-1 eliminates MDSCs and enhances the efficacy of PD-1 blockade via regulation of tumor-derived Bv8 and S100A8 in thoracic tumor.

en: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been known to play a pivotal role in the induction of immune tolerance, which limits the benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Recent studies revealed that several chemotherapeutic agents decreased tumor-infiltrating MDSCs. Therefore, combination therapy with cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents and ICIs was approved for first-line treatment for lung cancer. However, the impact of chemotherapeutic agents on MDSCs and an optimal partner of ICIs has not been fully investigated in thoracic tumors, including lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. In the present study, we found that treatment with 5-FU and its oral formulation, S-1, suppressed tumor progression and inhibited the accumulation of MDSCs in thoracic tumor-bearing mice. Tumor-infiltrating T cells and dendritic cells were significantly expanded in S-1-treated mice. 5-FU suppressed the ability of tumor cells to recruit MDSCs, while it did not suppress the survival and differentiation of mouse MDSCs in vitro. We also revealed that 5-FU or S-1 significantly downregulated the expression of tumor-derived Bv8 and S100A8. The knockdown of Bv8 or S100A8 in tumor cells suppressed tumor growth and MDSC recruitment in vivo. Furthermore, in comparison with pemetrexed, administration of S-1 improved the synergistic therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibodies with or without carboplatin. Our findings revealed a novel mechanism wherein S-1 primed a favorable tumor microenvironment to provide the rationale for combination therapy with S-1 and ICIs as the optimal therapy for thoracic cancer.

en: Cancer Science


en: Analysis of the chemotactic factors for tumor-infiltrating fibrocytes and their prognostic significances in lung cancer.

en: Fibrocytes, which are bone marrow-derived collagen-producing cells, have been reported to be involved in pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Our previous study reported that tumor-infiltrating fibrocytes play a role in tumor progression and drug resistance in lung cancer. The present study therefore examined chemotactic factors for fibrocytes in tissues of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their prognostic significance. Surgically resected tumor tissues were examined for the expression of chemotactic factors, including C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12), CCL2, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA and PDGF-BB, as well as tumor-infiltrating fibrocytes by immunostaining. The chemotactic ability of fibrocytes in response to each factor was evaluated using a migration assay by counting the migrated cells microscopically, and expression of receptors for chemotactic factors were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of CXCL12, but not CCL2, PDGF-AA, or PDGF-BB, was associated with the number of tumor-infiltrating fibrocytes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but not lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSQ). In addition, patients with an increased expression of CXCL12 in LUAD but not LUSQ showed a significantly poorer prognosis compared with those with a decreased expression. However, the expression of CCL2, PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB was not correlated with the prognosis of patients with NSCLC. The number of fibrocytes was associated with a poor prognosis in LUAD. Fibrocytes derived from the peripheral blood of healthy subjects as well as patients with lung cancer expressed higher levels of CXCR4 compared with CCR2, PDGF and receptor-α and receptor-β. Overall, these results suggested that targeting tumor-infiltrating fibrocytes via the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis may be a useful strategy for controlling the progression of NSCLC, particularly LUAD.

en: Oncology Letters

ja: Oncology Letters


en: Efficacy and safety of second-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer complicated by interstitial lung disease.

en: Second-line chemotherapy among patients with NSCLC complicated by ILD showed a certain effectiveness, but some patients experienced the AE of ILD, which may lead to death. The risk of the AE of ILD must be considered especially for patients with UIP and low percentage VC.

ja: Thirty-five patients received two or more regimens. Thirty-four patients were male and the median age at the initiation of second-line chemotherapy was 70 years. Almost all patients had a smoking history. Fourteen patients had adenocarcinoma and 15 had squamous cell carcinoma histology. Stages III and IV were observed in 20 and 11 patients, respectively. With respect to the type of ILD, 12 patients had usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). The overall response rate and disease control rate were 11.4 and 68.6%, respectively. The median progression-free and median overall survival were 4.1 and 6.4 months, respectively. The AE of ILD was observed in eight patients, five of whom died. UIP and low percentage vital capacity were detected as significant risk factors for the AE of ILD.

en: Thoracic Cancer

ja: Thoracic Cancer


en: The efficacy of mass screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using screening questionnaires in a medical health check-up population.

en: Mass screening for COPD using screening questionnaires, particularly the COPD-PS questionnaire, might be useful to identify the early stages of COPD in a medical health check-up population.


en: Efficacy of osimertinib in epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer patients with pleural effusion.

en: These data suggest the efficacy of osimertinib may differ between EGFR T790M-positive and -negative NSCLC patients with PE.

ja: A total of 63 patients with EGFR mutated NSCLC were treated with osimertinib; 33 (12 with PE) had no EGFR T790M mutation, while 30 (12 with PE) had EGFR T790M mutation. In EGFR T790M-negative NSCLC, the progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients with PE was comparable to that of the patients without PE (median PFS 19.8 vs. 19.8 months, p = 0.693). In EGFR T790M- positive NSCLC, the PFS and overall survival (OS) of the patients with PE were significantly shorter than those of the patients without PE (median PFS 16.8 vs. 8.3 months, p = 0.003; median OS 44.9 vs. 14.2 months, p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of PE was independently associated with shorter PFS and OS in EGFR T790M-positive NSCLC patients, but not EGFR T790M-negative patients.

en: BMC Cancer

ja: BMC Cancer


en: Radiation therapy induces an abscopal effect and upregulates programmed death-ligand 1 expression in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer.

en: T cells, occasionally resulting in a systemic immune response to the tumor outside of the treatment field. The phenomenon of tumor regression at the site distant from irradiated fields is known as the abscopal effect. Several case reports have indicated a potential role of RT in overcoming primary and acquired resistance against immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma patients. We herein report an NSCLC patient who developed acquired resistance to an RT-induced abscopal effect and subsequently experienced reactivation of the systemic antitumor immune response by pembrolizumab, an antiprogrammed death 1 antibody. In this case, RT not only induced an abscopal effect but also upregulated the programmed death-ligand 1 expression outside of the irradiated field when the patient developed resistance to the abscopal effect. This case can facilitate our understanding of the mechanism underlying the RT-induced systemic immune response against cancer cells and adaptive resistance mechanism of cancer cells from immune surveillance. These findings highlight the promising results of current clinical trials combining RT and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Ongoing clinical trials will further establish evidence supporting combination therapy with RT and immune checkpoint inhibitors.


en: A case of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma with preexisting interstitial pneumonia successfully treated with pembrolizumab.

en: Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma is often refractory to chemotherapy and follows an aggressive clinical course. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced lung cancer, and a few cases with pleomorphic carcinoma have been reported to show tumor shrinkage after therapy with ICIs. When treating patients with ICIs, patient selection is essential, and monitoring and management of immune-related adverse events, including pneumonitis, are needed. We herein report a case of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma with preexisting interstitial pneumonia treated with pembrolizumab, antiprogrammed cell death 1 antibody. Our report highlights important considerations necessary when treating advanced pleomorphic carcinoma patients complicated with interstitial pneumonia. We also review the literature regarding the use of ICIs in such patients.


en: Correlation between immune-related adverse events and therapeutic effects of nivolumab in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

en: This is the first study to report the correlation between irAEs and therapeutic effects in patients with MPM. Because the presence of irAEs may be associated with a favorable clinical outcome, early detection and appropriate management of irAEs will increase the therapeutic benefits to patients.

ja: Eleven patients received treatment with nivolumab. Objective response rate was 18.2% and the disease control rate was 90.9%. Median PFS was 6.8 months (95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 11.9 months) and median OS was 15.2 months (95% confidence interval, 8.9 to 21.5 months). IrAEs occurred in eight patients (72.7%), and grade ≥ 2 irAEs occurred in six patients (54.5%). PFS and OS were significantly longer in the grade ≥ 2 irAEs group than in grade < 2 irAEs group (median PFS 13.6 vs. 3.8 months, p = 0.0093; median OS not reached vs. 8.6 months, p = 0.0108).

en: BMC Pulmonary Medicine

ja: BMC Pulmonary Medicine


en: Programmed death (PD)-1/PD-ligand 1 blockade mediates antiangiogenic effects by tumor-derived CXCL10/11 as a potential predictive biomarker.

en: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) programmed death (PD)-1/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade has been approved for various cancers. However, the underlying antitumor mechanisms mediated by ICIs and the predictive biomarkers remain unclear. We report the effects of anti-PD-L1/PD-1 Ab in tumor angiogenesis. In syngeneic mouse models, anti-PD-L1 Ab inhibited tumor angiogenesis and induces net-like hypoxia only in ICI-sensitive cell lines. In tumor tissue and serum of ICI-sensitive cell line-bearing mice, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) inducible angiostatic chemokines CXCL10/11 were upregulated by PD-L1 blockade. In vitro, CXCL10/11 gene upregulation by IFN-γ stimulation in tumor cell lines correlated with the sensitivity of PD-L1 blockade. The CXCL10/11 receptor CXCR3-neutralizing Ab or CXCL11 silencing in tumor cells inhibited the antiangiogenic effect of PD-L1 blockade in vivo. In pretreatment serum of lung carcinoma patients receiving anti-PD-1 Ab, the concentration of CXCL10/11 significantly correlated with the clinical outcome. Our results indicate the antiangiogenic function of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and identify tumor-derived CXCL10/11 as a potential circulating biomarker of therapeutic sensitivity.

en: Cancer Science


en: Blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway Enhances the Antigen-Presenting Capacity of Fibrocytes.

en: T cells when the activity is further enhanced by PD-L1/PD-1 blockade.

en: The Journal of Immunology

ja: The Journal of Immunology


en: Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with chemotherapy suppresses the growth of mesothelioma by reducing myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

en: T cells in tumors, the number of Foxp3

ja: The combination of anti-PD-1 antibody with CDDP + PEM may be a promising therapy for MPM via inhibiting the accumulation of MDSCs and vessels in tumors.

en: Lung Cancer

ja: Lung Cancer